


Bread, Pastries, and All the Gossip

by starlightsongs



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy Ending, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 16:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16222787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightsongs/pseuds/starlightsongs
Summary: It’s another Tuesday at Yamabuki Bakery, and this time, when Rimi stops by to purchase the best chocolate coronets in town, they discuss their crushes together.





	Bread, Pastries, and All the Gossip

“Thank you for stopping by! Have a great day!”

As the clock struck 5:00PM, indicating the close of bakery time, Saaya Yamabuki wiped her hands. Flour spread amongst the air, clouding her vision, though only temporarily. She chuckled as she wiped the dusty substance away from her eyes, knowing that today’s business had kept her busy on her feet, though it meant good things for the family to come.

She headed towards the front counter, taking in the inventory. As far as the savory treats went, their famous chicken curry pan had been the top contestant with zero left in stock. The yakisoba pan was nearly cleared, with just one sitting by its lonesome self. When it came to sweeter pastries, the public was rather fond of the classic anpan and melon pan delights, leaving zero behind of each respectively.

Of course, Saaya could never leave until she checked on the chocolate coronets. A fan favorite of her close friend, Rimi Ushigome, their leftovers would always be reserved especially for her. The exchange happened every Tuesday before closing hours, and Rimi’s enthusiasm worked miracles to stop food waste.

She scanned the shelves until they came into sight: only 2 remained.

Saaya nearly jumped back. That was a startling low amount for the popular sweet treat. She knew today had been a busy one, but she hadn’t expected business to be _that_ successful. She hoped Rimi wasn’t too hungry, and knew she’d have to give a fair warning before she saw for herself.

As if overhearing her thoughts, she heard a familiar knocking on the front door.

Knowing immediately that it was the friend who occupied her thoughts, she opened up with a smile on her face. What she had not been expecting was to see her short-haired friend’s face be completely red.

“Rimi? Are you feeling okay?” Saaya asked trying not to express too much concern in her tone, her smile faltering. The petite girl blinked a few times before looking up, as if in a trance.

“O-oh! Hey Saaya! Yeah I’m okay, was just zoned out for a bit there,” She piped up, putting her finger to chin as she always did when she was lost in thought. She shook her head once before grinning and asking to be let in. Saaya did so accordingly, flipping the sign to “CLOSED” as the door shut behind Rimi.

“I’m gonna have to warn you: our sales were craaaazy busy today, leaving us with only two chocolate coronets.”

“ _Two_?” The chocolate-coronet fanatic nearly shrieked. Saaya nodded in dismay.

“Oh…And I was thinking I really needed them today…that’s okay, though~ Thank you for working so hard!” Rimi pondered, taking a seat at the counter as she waited for her bread-baking pal to deliver the treat.

“Of course, it is my job after all!” Saaya noted as she placed the dessert before her friend. She knew she was going to have some questions for her regarding her statement, though she decided it’d be best to let her chew for a bit first.

“It’s so yumyyyy,” Rimi squealed in delight, her cheeks half-full with chocolatey, bready goodness. Saaya laughed and began to wipe the counters, leaving the girl to enjoy her sweets in peace before she asked her a few questions.

Being the older sister of two younger siblings, Saaya had become very tuned in to other people’s emotions and attitudes. Known as the “mom friend” by her fellow Poppin’ Party bandmates, she never missed an opportunity to check in with a friend that looked like they could use the support. And she could proudly say that she could read every Poppin’ Party member like an open book: she helped Kasumi out with logical steps to her wild ideas, Tae with familiarity in common conversational topics and popular slang, and Arisa with self-confidence and being more open about her love for others (though she was not always the most… willing participant).

Rimi was rather shy, and most of her frustrations lay in her inability to conquer stage fright and meeting with older classmates she didn’t know very well. She was an introvert who became rather tired by human interaction easily and found comfort in a close friend like Saaya who would give her undivided intention and a judgment-free zone.

She looked towards Rimi again, trying to get a sense of her emotions this go around. The girl’s face had been bright red before entering, often an indicator of her feeling embarrassed or overwhelmed by something. Though Saaya had noticed that her speech hadn’t sounded choked up, so she clearly hadn’t been upset about something…or had she? She mentioned needing the support of the chocolate coronets.

Saaya looked at her friend again and noticed a certain fidgetiness: Rimi had been twiddling her thumbs. She chuckled to herself. Right then and there, she knew exactly what was up.

“Okay, Rimi. Tell me what happened with Kaoru.”

Rimi stopped chewing, her eyes looking as if they’d bulge right out of her head as she turned to her ponytailed counterpart. Her face flushed red yet again.

“H-how did you-?”

“-Know? Well, for starters, your face was bright red upon coming in, as it is again now mind you, plus you mentioned needing the chocolate coronets though you aren’t upset, and you’re doing that little thumb twiddle you always do when you’re nervous or when you like someone.”

Rimi swallowed the rest of the pastry, allowing her jaw to drop as she stared at Saaya in disbelief. Saaya laughed in response.

“Don’t make fun of me…” Rimi sighed, reaching for her second chocolate coronet. Saaya stifled the laugh this time.

“I’m sorry~ I couldn’t help myself! You’re just so easy to read…” She noted, scrubbing up the last of the bread crumbs before heading off to return the cleaning rag to its proper location.

“She’s so handsome…” Rimi warbled, not taking her eyes off the plate. She had now finished both of the desserts and reached for a napkin. Saaya returned from the kitchen and propped herself on the seat beside her gushing friend.

“Go for it, Rimi, tell me all about this handsome woman.”

Rimi’s eyes immediately shone upon Saaya’s earnest words of encouragement. She cracked a smile, nodding a little bit.

“Okay! So remember I told you about that time I ran into her in the park? A-and she asked me to do a wedding photo-shoot…like you and her did…”

Saaya nodded in remembrance. That had been quite an interesting day, filled with unexpected surprises left and right. Saaya was still in disbelief at the photographer’s insistence to have her model, as well as at Kaoru’s ability to keep calm throughout the whole situation. She had felt so out of place, especially as someone who had never really thought about her own marriage prior to the event. She thought about how Tomoe yelled out in disbelief, and how embarrassed and confused she had felt by the tension shared between Kaoru and Tomoe. They had both looked out for her with such an intensity that was beyond her comprehension.

Her father still hung the finalized print on the kitchen refrigerator, which of course, her younger siblings always teased her about. It was rather embarrassing, but no words she said could convince him to take it down. “My lovely daughter will one day be a bride!” He had shouted in delight. But the statement ultimately made Saaya feel uncomfortable. 

She preferred not to think about that day whenever possible.

 “Yeah, I remember…that was a strange day wasn’t it?”

Rimi seemed to notice the hesitancy in Saaya’s voice, her expression softening a bit. She offered a small smile.

“Oh, don’t say that Saaya! You looked lovely and you did such a great job!”

Saaya smiled in return. That was one of the things she loved about Poppin’ Party: even though the members always came to her for advice, more than anything they were her support system in return. They always knew exactly when she lacked confidence, and they’d immediately be able to provide her with it.

They were her support system. Someday, she’d let herself be able to open up to them too.

“Thank you, Rimi, that means a lot. But…anyways. Kaoru.”

Rimi let out a small yelp just at the mention of her name itself.

“Y-yeah! Kaoru! So I walked through the park on the way here again and there she was, rehearsing just like last time…gosh she’s so cool…”  
“Okay…”  
“And so like, I found my own little corner and just kind of…watched her for a bit.”  
“…Rimi…”

“But she noticed me! Again! How does she do that?”

 Saaya let out a howl of laughter. The thought of Rimi trying to hide in one of the most open areas in town had painted a rather funny mental image.

 “It’s a _park_ Rimi, you can’t really hide there.”  
“But I’m good at Hide and Seek! Kasumi said so!”

Saaya snorted. The enthusiastic, loving, high-spirited Kasumi saw great ability in just about everyone. While Saaya admired her idealism, she knew that sometimes it wasn’t always the most…helpful mindset to possess.

“You mean the same Kasumi, who loses at Hide and Seek because she spends the entire time trying to get close to Arisa and not actually hiding.”

Rimi stopped, letting the baker’s statement sit in. Once she had understood, she immediately covered her eyes with her hands.

“Saaya…”  
“Hey there, it’s okay, Rimi-rin~ Plus, you didn’t even finish the story yet!”

“Oh, yeah!” Rimi piped up, her attitude shifting in a 180º direction.

“Okay so, she notices me, right? And I freeze up. I get flustered and I try to respond to her b-but…the words won’t come out…you know?”

The short-haired girl paused, as if trying to recollect how she’d phrase the rest of the situation. Saaya waited patiently.

“And then she…I think she asked me out?”

If Saaya Yamabuki had been drinking a cup of water, now would’ve been the time she’d spit it out.

Saaya’s eyes glistened, her mouth forming into a smile. This was great news, wasn’t it? The girl of Rimi’s dreams _asked her out_ , without Rimi even having had to do anything! It was all Rimi could’ve ever asked for.

“Rimi! Are you kidding? That’s fantastic!” She nearly yelled, feeling nothing but overwhelming joy for her best friend. She held her hand out for a high-five before noticing that Rimi had shrunken into herself, her head down, hands clasped together.

…What had happened?

“Rimi?”  
“Saaya…”  
“Rimi…Don’t tell me you turned her down…” Saaya prophesized, unable being able to control the disappointment in her voice. She had been counting on Rimi to do things for herself because she enjoyed them, and be willing to take healthy risks in furthering her happiness. Her reaction had indicated otherwise.

But Rimi shook her head in defiance.

“Turning down Kaoru Seta? That’s like telling the sun to stop shining,” Rimi cried, her words filled with passion, only confusing Saaya more.

So…Rimi hadn’t said yes, but she hadn’t said no.

Had she said anything?

“Then…”  
“What happened? I-I…didn’t know how to respond.”

Saaya took that as a “no.”

“…And?”  
“And so I shrieked and ran,” the flustered girl admitted regretfully.

Though she hadn’t been the only one filled with regret. Saaya had a heightened sense of empathy, and nearly immediately felt the girl’s frustration and pain. That moment had been a good opportunity for Rimi to take a step in the right direction, to address her feelings and be courageous with her words. But she didn’t, and now Kaoru might get the wrong idea and may never approach her again.

Something needed to change.

“Saaya…I’m really trying to get better at expressing myself…I really am! I almost said ‘yes’, you know? But my words got caught up in my throat…along with my insecurities,” Rimi blurted, allowing herself to be fully in touch with her emotions, which ultimately resulted in talking without stuttering, able to vocalize her thoughts in depth. Saaya nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“It’s just that she’s so beautiful and all of the girls love her and I’m…I’m just me, you know? I’m not really worthy of her attention…and it’s obvious that she’s in love with Chisato. I know it – I can tell by the way she looks at her.”

“I don’t want to be her ‘second choice’, Saaya. Maybe I don’t want to be just another one of her ‘little kittens’. Yeah, she flirts with me, but she flirts with everyone! So yes, I’d love to go on a date with her. But what if I come out of it wanting us to be something more and she doesn’t? Then what?”

Saaya sat in stun. She hadn’t even considered that perhaps Rimi’s act was one of self-protection, and more in the pursuit of happiness than Saaya had expected. She really loved it when Rimi got into these moods, where she was able to express herself without holding herself back. The girl was becoming more and more self-assertive each day, and it was exactly the type of growth she had been wanting to see from her. She took mental notes as she saw Rimi sigh, and kept quiet knowing she wasn’t done quite yet.

“I recognize that at the end of the day my feelings might just be of a typical schoolgirl crush but…I just don’t know. I feel like I’d be really heartbroken if we spent more time together only to find out she doesn’t have any interest in me. She’s a handsome and charming woman but I sense that there’s another side to her too. I want to know what that side of her is like – I want to know everything about her…but I don’t think I can. I can’t let myself become attached and that’s why I can’t tell her ‘yes’, even though my heart begs me to.”

Saaya again couldn’t help but feel in awe. Rimi had really reflected on the situation, way more than Saaya had ever seen it. But she was right: Kaoru had been prone to flirting with just about everyone, and it was almost impossible to tell when she expressed interest in someone for real. Tomoe had even referred to Rimi as “another one of Kaoru’s fans” when Rimi had expressed jealousy towards her and Saaya’s interaction. Additionally, Saaya hadn’t been so keen as to sense “another side” to Kaoru the way Rimi had, and the statement definitely had her thinking.

“Rimi, you really like her, don’t you?”

 Rimi, as if on cue, immediately stared down at her shoes, reverting back to the quieter, restrained version of herself.

“W-well…m-maybe…y-yeah…”

Saaya smiled at her warmly, reaching her hand across the table, hoping Rimi would take it up and hold it.

“Listen, you don’t have to hold yourself back with me. I’m your friend, I’m here to listen to you. There’s nothing wrong with liking her, just as there’s nothing wrong with being vulnerable. You can be yourself here, trust me.”

Rimi looked up, noticing Saaya’s outstretched arm. She grinned in response, her eyes sparkling as she gently placed her palm on top of Saaya’s.

“Also, ‘not worthy of her attention’? Rimi, are you kidding me? Any girl would be happy to have you.”

Rimi giggled at that, immediately making Saaya feel at ease.

“Thank you, Saaya."  
“Of course, anytime.”

The two shared a moment of silence in each other’s company, just letting their words sink in respectively.

“Hey, Saaya?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Have you ever liked someone before?”

Saaya thought long and hard about it.

To be quite honest…she wasn’t sure. That was still something she was trying to figure out for herself. She found many people attractive, but going as far as to like them? It didn’t come so easily, and felt as if she really had to get to know the person before developing that sort of feeling.

“I don’t think so, not yet at least. Maybe if I spent more time with them…” She trailed off, wandering into in a mindset of her own.

_Hold everything!!!_

Saaya could understand Kaoru’s eagerness to flirt with her and come to her rescue. What she couldn’t help but wonder was why Tomoe had become so angry at seeing the two of them together.

Sure, the redhead had explained that she was concerned about Saaya marrying at such a young age. Ako had been there too, and she was sure that Tomoe hadn’t wanted her younger sister to be influenced by such an idea. There were many reasonable conclusions as to why she had not wanted the “wedding” to commence, yet Saaya still felt as if there was something more to it.

Tomoe had yelled with such _passion_. She had shown the type of protectiveness only previously displayed by her family and Poppin’ Party. Yeah, they were friends, but they weren’t that close or anything. Why would Tomoe be so freaked out?

Maybe she wanted to be closer?

Saaya always thought she was gorgeous – tall and strong-willed, she exhibited an aura of confidence, assertiveness, and bravery. She always seemed so _strong_ , a trait Saaya often admired in others and aimed to be herself. Mature in nature and tomboy-ish, Saaya wondered how other girls didn’t flock to her the way they did towards Kaoru.

“I mean, Tomoe’s cute but I don’t know if I like her in _that_ way, you know?”

Rimi leaned forward, eager to now be the one to listen to Saaya be personal.

“Oh my gosh yes, Tomoe _is_ cute! She’s so tall and confident.”

“Right? I thought so too,” Saaya agreed, feeling at ease in being able to talk to Rimi about this. She loved talking to all of her friends, but today she sensed a new special sort of relation with Rimi. She had wanted someone to give her advice just as she gave, but Kasumi and Tae often didn’t pick up on the social cues to check in with her in exchange, and Arisa normally had too many anxieties of her own to give Saaya a chance to share hers. Rimi was by far the best listener of the four, and Saaya felt immense relief in being able to open herself up too.

“And that’s okay that you don’t know much about where your feelings are! Everyone experiences this kind of thing differently, it’s totally normal.”

“Y-You think so?” Saaya asked, surprised at Rimi’s acceptance. She nodded, affirming.

“Thanks, Rimi. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, anytime,” She responded, mimicking Saaya’s tone from earlier. The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously burst into laughter.

“Hey listen, this has been fun but unfortunately I do have to close up the shop…”

“Oh, absolutely! Don’t let me get in your way.”

The two exchanged their goodbyes, Saaya making sure Rimi was out of eyesight before locking the door behind her. She stood in front of the shop for a bit, thinking about the interaction and the next steps to take.

Rimi hadn’t been so happy about her situation with Kaoru, which had been obvious to Saaya. So many feelings of angst and uncertainty, that Saaya really had no choice but to meddle or the two would forever be in a loop of misunderstanding.

Without any further ado, Saaya whipped out her cell phone and dialed the purple-haired girl.

“Ah, my dearest Saaya! Why I must say, I had not been expecting a little kitten like you to call me up out of the blue~”

Saaya tried not to laugh. She personally found Kaoru’s “little kitten” act more embarrassing than romantic.

“Ah, well, you did tell me to call you anytime I needed, if I recall…”

“Absolutely. So, please do tell, what is the urgent issue you desire to express?”

Saaya hesitated, knowing Rimi would fully lose her trust in her, dare she screw this up.

“So my friend Rimi…”  
“Ah, yes! The gentle little kitten. I saw her today and she seemed to have been wrapped up in…distress.”

So Kaoru had sensed it too.

“Y-yes! That’s exactly it! If you don’t mind…she told me about how you asked her-”  
“-For some of her time? Why, that is exactly what occurred.”

Huh. Kaoru hadn’t even seemed phased by the information.

Maybe Rimi was right, and it had just been a part of her flirty nature, nothing more beyond that.

“Listen, Kaoru,” Saaya started, her tone firm. She now understood Rimi’s frustration and confusion. Talking to Kaoru was like trying to play a complicated game – one could never tell if her stage-like attitude was her genuine personality or just acting. That’s how good of an actress she was.

“Rimi really likes you, okay? Like, _really_ likes you. But she gets the sense that you are just playing with her feelings as you do with your other fans.”

 Saaya sighed, checking to see if her mentioned friend had been in earshot. Again, she had to be careful or she could potentially break an important bond.

All she had now was trust in Kaoru to be understanding.

Silence hung from the other end. Eventually, Saaya heard a deep long sigh.

“I’m terribly sorry about this, Saaya. Genuinely so. I understand now why she scurried off…I had never meant for my actions to hurt her.”

Saaya stood frozen in shock. She could tell right away that this was the genuine Kaoru coming through. Her voice even sounded different, the prince-like nature wearing off.

“The truth is that I do really like her. She’s shy, but she has so much passion, and she cares greatly about her friends. She inspires me to be a better version of myself…and fleetingly so.”

 Saaya rolled her eyes at that last remark. Princely tone or not, the girl never got tired of using that word.

But she was thankful that Kaoru was able to open up so honestly to her, especially after all she had been expecting was a simple apology.

“Thank you for saying that, Kaoru.”  
“Anytime, my little kitten.”

 And thus prince-mode was on again. Saaya preferred those few moments when it was off.

"As you know, Rimi’s a shy one, okay? Do you think you could…try to be gentle with her? I think one day she’ll be able to express her feelings to you in full, but she hasn’t gotten there yet.”

“Of course, everyone moves at their own pace. I respect that.”

Saaya breathed a long breath of relief. She had been successful, and fully trusted that Kaoru would keep up her end of the bargain.

“Thank you again, Kaoru. Have a nice day.”  
“Adieu to you too, little kitten.”

Saaya hung up, feeling somewhat guilty that she had meddled, but knew that it would be for the better. It was great knowing she had Kaoru’s number on hand if she ever saw another opportunity to bring the two together.

She started to walk towards home, unable to shake off the feeling that she herself felt a little empty. Yes, she had done something good and helped out a friend in need which filled her with pride, but she wondered if it was always going to be this way. Being the matchmaker without any matches for herself, forever caught in a supporting role without knowing what it was like to be the lead in love.

She wished she could understand better when Rimi asked her if she’s ever liked someone, and she wished that one day she could fully relate to her sentiment.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar red-haired figure.

“Ah, Saaya!” A deep voice called out.

No one other than Tomoe.

“Oh, hey!” Saaya called out in response, slightly alarmed by the sudden approach. The tall girl chuckled.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”  
“Oh, no worries, you didn’t startle me.”

Tomoe gave her a side-eye glance that seemed to sense that she was lying, but quickly let up.

“Anyways, I was just thinking about you.”

Saaya felt as if her heart stopped suddenly. Why would she be thinking about her?

“Is that so?”  
“Yeah, my parents were going through our storage when they stumbled upon the wedding photo-shoot of yours.”

Saaya’s heart immediately sunk. Was that all she was ever going to be remembered for?

“O-Oh…that…ahaha…” Saaya trailed off awkwardly, looking down towards the sidewalk.

“Yeah, it was awkward for me too. They genuinely thought you were married! Guess the whole ‘misunderstanding’ idea runs in the family…”

Saaya let out a laugh, knowing that Tomoe’s family had not been the only ones to misinterpret the image. She had received many “congratulations” from incoming customers the day following.

“It’s alright, Tomoe.”

“I know it is…it’s just so weird, you know? The fact that all of our surrounding adults just seem to think it’s normal for girls our age to get married right away. I mean, we’re still in _high school_ for crying out loud. I mean, we deserve a life of our own first, don’t we?  We deserve to gain our own sense of reality before devoting it all to someone else.”

Saaya nodded vigorously, her heartbeat returning back to its increased tempo.

Finally, someone _understood_.

Understood what it was like to feel that pressure to love in this society. To feel out of place for not having experienced the “thing we all feel” right away. To not have their sights set on marriage or love right off the bat, and wanted to find discover their own personality first before setting sights on another.

“Right? And it was kind of creepy too, the way adults would congratulate me. I was worried that they were going to start asking me about kids! Jun and Sana are so small still…I can’t even _imagine_ having my own yet.”  
“Exactly! I don’t like the pressure we’ve been getting to grow up. It feels so limiting.”

Saaya could tell that she and Tomoe felt similarly about this matter, and she made a mental note to herself that she’d have to talk to this girl more often.

“Anyways, I have to get to going. But we should really talk more often…we have more in common than I thought,” Tomoe stated checking her phone. She explained how she was running late to practice at CiRCLE and how Himari would throw a fit dare she be late. Saaya nodded in understanding, noting how Arisa would do the same.

“Well then,” Tomoe started off, nodding before walking in the opposite direction. Saaya turned around to wave her goodbye before she noticed the tall girl stop in her tracks.

“Hey, do we have each other’s numbers?”

Saaya pulled out her phone, scrolling through her contacts. The only “T” she found was Tae.

"No, I don’t believe we do,” Saaya responded. Tomoe walked back towards her, grabbing the phone out of her hands and replacing the empty space with hers.

“Let’s change that.”

Again, Tomoe’s bluntness had totally thrown Saaya off-guard. She chuckled to herself as she typed in her digits into the other girl’s device.

“All done!” Saaya shouted, extending her arm out to give to Tomoe, who had still been typing. The red-headed girl looked up sheepishly, marveling at how fast Saaya was.

“I always gotta type fast to keep up with Kasumi’s ideas. I get lots of practice.”

After Tomoe had finished, the two both returned their phones back to their owners.

“So…I’ll see you around?” Tomoe started. Saaya nodded, and waved again as the girl made her second attempt to leave. This time, Saaya waited until she was fully out of vision before turning around and heading home.

Saaya fiddled around with her phone in her hands, feeling like the won the lottery.

She wasn’t exactly sure how to describe this new energy that had birthed inside of her. It wasn’t the “sun” the way Rimi had put it, rather just a small glimmer of light, like a single candle in a dark hall. It was warm in nature but not so warm that it consumed her. It had felt so refreshing to talk to someone who really _got_ her. Who not only listened but thought in almost exactly the same way. Who could feed off her ideas, and could form new ideas for her to feed off. The conversation had felt so energizing and stimulating, a sort of energy Saaya never fully received before.

Saaya may not have known very much about love and relationships. But she did at least know one thing.

She’d definitely have to talk to Tomoe more often.


End file.
